A report by Dr Chris Plauche Johnson in Pediatrics, the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, argues that although the children who exhibit mild symptoms of autism may be the most difficult to detect at an early age, they are the ones who will benefit most from therapies.
Around one in every 150 children in the US is affected by an autistic spectrum disorder, according to research by the Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network. In the UK, the National Autistic Society estimates one in 100 children are affected. American clinicians are already using screening tools suitable for children of 18 months and older, and new tools for younger infants are under development.
Helpline manager Louise Corbett said, 'A lot of our callers are concerned about children at an increasingly early age. Eighteen months seems to be a key point at which they begin to identify problems.
'At the moment there is no national screening programme specifically for autism. Getting your child assessed depends on the quality of services within your local area and it is very patchy.'
In Wales, the National Autistic Society Cymru is launching a campaign, 'Think differently about autism', to raise awareness, tackle discrimination and improve training, following a survey that revealed many public misconceptions about autism.
Further information: www.think-differently.org.uk.
